Boom suspension means for a continuous bucket trenching machine



June 1.9, 1956 2,750,687

BOOM SUSPENSION MEANS FOR A-CONTINUOUS BUCKET TRENCHING MACHINE G. BANISTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1952 June 19, 1956 G. BANISTER BOOM SUSPENSION MEANS FOR A CONTINUOUS BUCKET TRENCHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I .(FE 4.4211.

Filed Sept 5, 1952 Gzzz fiazu'azer 7 aka 541 United States Patent BOOM SUSPENSION MEANS FOR A CDNTINU- OUS BUCKET TRENCHING MACHINE Guy Banister, Aurora, 111., assignor to Barber-Greene Company, Aurora, Ill.

Application September 5, 1952, Serial No. 308,111

Claims. (Cl. 37--90) This invention relates to boom suspension means for a continuous bucket digging or trenching machine and more particularly relates to such a suspension arranged to retain the height of the digging boom to the minimum low overall height requisite to pass under underpasses of low clearance for transportation of the machine from working place to working place.

Heretofore, digging machines of the continuous bucket trenching type having a vertical digging boom and opening a trench with the digging boom in a generally vertical position, have required an excessive amount of head room when in an elevated position with the digging buckets above the ground for transportation, with the result that the ditching machine cannot readily be transported from working place to working place where the machine must pass under places of low overhead clearance. With such machines it has been necessary to manually remove the entire boom to enable the machine to pass under low underpasses. This requires considerable time and manual labor, making it necessary to disconnect the drive chain and supporting members for the boom in addition to lifting the boom and handling it manually to place on the truck or transporting means for the machine. When at the new location the boom must then be connected to its truck, and the chains and supporting members therefor must be replaced.

A principal object of my invention is to overcome these difiiculties by providing a novel and improved support means for the boom of a trenching machine so supporting the boom as to require a minimum of vertical clearance during transportation and eliminating the necessity of dismantling the boom to transport it from working place to working place.

p A further and principal object of my invention is to provide an improved support means for the digging boom of a continuous traveling bucket line ditcher supporting the boom in the vertical position during digging andaccommodating the boom to be supported in a reclining position for transportation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mobile trencher of the continuous bucket type, in which the operator of the trencher may elevate the digging boom on the supporting truck therefor by power and support the boom in a generally reclining position at the rear of the truck, so as to require less head room than formely for transporting the boom from working place to working place.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved suspension means for a digging boom of a trenching machine having a continuous digging bucket line, wherein the boom is supported in an upright position for digging and is guided in a guide track pivotally movable to accommodate the boom to be supported on the track in a generally reclining position relative to' its supporting truck, so as to reduce the head room formerly required to transport the boom from working place to working place.

:- ;Still. another and more detailed object of my invention is to provide a trenching machine of the class described having a digging boom with a continuous bucket line guided for movement thereabout supported in a generally vertical position during the trenching operation and guiding the boom on a pivoted guide track pivotally movable to a relatively flat position, and rigidly supported in this position to accommodate the boomto be extended from the rear end of its supporting truck, and supported in an inclined retracted position with respect to its vertically extended digging position during transportation.

These and other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings where- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a self-propelled trencher constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the boom in an operative trenching position;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation showing the boom in a vertically extended position at the initiation of the trenching operation and showing a step in elevating the boom from a trench in position to be supported in a reclining position on its supporting truck, for transportation from working place to working place; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the roller support for the digging boom on the arcuate supporting guide tracks therefor.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, 1 have shown in Figure l a digging machine of the continuous bucket trenching type constructed along lines similar to that shown and disclosed in an application Serial No. 224,702, filed by Leonard Steven Burns and Guy Banister on May 5, 1951, so will confine the present description to a general description of the trenching machine and a detailed description of digging boom support or suspension means.

The machine includes generally a self-propelled truck including a main frame 10 mounted on front steering wheels 11 and rear traction wheels 12. The traction wheels may be propelled by means of an internal combustion engine (not shown), in a manner well known to those skilled in the art and the propelling engine therefor may also serve as a source of motive power for driving a continuous bucket line 14 on a generally vertically extending boom 15 through a chain and sprocket drive 16.

The digging boom 15 is shown as having a depending guide bar 17 depending from an upper housing portion 18 thereof. The guide bar 17 is shown as having the endless digging bucket line 14 orbitally guided thereabout and driven from the chain and sprocket drive 16.

The bucket line 14 includes generally spaced digging 1 buckets 19 connected together by intermediate links 20.

The buckets 19 are shown as having digging teeth 21 projecting from the lips thereof for cutting into and digging a trench or ditch in the ground upon downward movement of the boom 15 into the ground from the position A shown in Figure 2 to the position B shown in this figure, as the buckets are orbitally driven about the bar 17.

A transverse discharge conveyor 22 is shown as extending transversely of the digging boom 15 at the rear end thereof in material-receiving relation with respect to the digging buckets 19, to collect the earth excavated by said digging buckets and discharge it to one side of the trench excavated thereby. The conveyor 22 may be of any well known form and may be driven from a suitable drive mechanism (not shown), driven from the chain and sprocket drive 16, or from an individual motor, as desired.

I have also shown a follow-up scraper 23 adjustably mounted on the housing 18 for the digging boom, to the rear of the digging bucket line 14, to scrape stones and fine earth left behind the bucket line to be picked up by the bucket line and clean up the bottom of the trench.

The support or suspension means for the digging boom 15 is shown as including two laterally spaced tie bars 25, 25. Said tie bars are shown as being pivoted to the housing portion 18 of the digging boom 15 at their outer ends adjacent the upper end portion of said housing, and in vertical alignment with the bar 17. The inner end of each tie bar 25 is pivoted to one of a pair of upright standards 26. The support standards 26, extend upwardly from the truck frame it) a substantial distance inwardly from the rear end thereof and are shown as being located just behind the cab of the truck.

The support or suspension means also includes two laterally spaced flexible draft devices 27, connected to opposite sides of the housing structure 18 of the digger boom 15' at their free ends on connecting pins 29. A connecting pin 29 is disposed adjacent the lower end portion of each side of said housing structure. Each flexible draft device 27 is shown as extending from the connecting pin 29 extending outwardly from the housing 18, and to which it may be suitably connected. From the pin 29 the draft device 27 is shown as extending rearwardly in an upwardly inclined direction, to and around a direction changing sheave 30, rotatably carried on a sheave bracket 31 at the upper end of an associated standard 26. From thence each flexible draft device may extend downwardly in an inclined direction toward the rear of the truck and around a sheave 32 on the upper end of a piston rod 33, extensible from a cylinder 34. The flexible draft device is then shown as extending upwardly to the bracket 31 to which it maybe suitably secured. Each cylinder 34 is shown as being pivoted to the inside of a frame member 35 of the truck frame on a pivotal pin 36. The admission of fluid under pressure to the piston rod ends of the cylinders 34 will thus elevate the boom about the tie bars 25, and the holding of pressure in said cylinders will hold the boom 15 in the desired position of elevation.

Referring now in particular to the movable support and guide means for the boom 15, guiding the boom from its elevated position A in Figure 2 to its ditching position B and also supporting the boom in a generally reclin'mg position for transportation, the boom 15 is shown as being guided along arcuate guide tracks 37, 37 and as being supported thereby when in a generally reclining transporting position. Each arcuate guide track 37 is shown as being of a channel like form with the flanges thereof facing inwardly and having a roller 38 guided for movement therealong. Said roller is shown as being on an car 39 extending inwardly from the lower end portion of the boom housing 18. Each guide track 37 is pivotally supported on the truck frame 10 on the upper end of an upright support standard 40 on a pivot pin 41 extending through an car 42 extending inwardly from said guide track beneath the top thereof, as shown in Figure 1. Each guide track 37 is likewise shown as having a pin 43 extending laterally outwardly therefrom and having releasable engagement with a rearwardly opening slot or notch 44 formed in the associated side frame member of the main frame 10. The pin 43 may be detachably held in engagement with the notch 44, as by a tapered pin 45 extending vertically through the side frame member 35 and retaining said pin to the notch 44. It should here be understood that while I have shown a tapered pin for detachably securing the pin 43 to the notch 44, that a tapered pin need not be used and that any other suitable securing means may be provided in place thereof.

When it is desired to transport the trenching machine to a new location, the boom may first be elevated from the trench along the guide tracks 37, 37 to the position A shown in Figure 2. The machine may then be moved beyond the trench and lowered by the release of fluid pressure from the cylinders 34 until the lower end of the boom 15 or bucket line 14 comes into engagement with the ground. With the boom 15 resting on the ground, the pins 45 may be removed from the ends of the side frame members 35, 35 to release the pins 43 from the notches 44. The boom engaging the ground, the truck may then be moved forwardly along the ground at a slow rate of speed. This will pivot the arcuate guide tracks 37, 37 about the pivot pins 41, and withdraw the pins 43 from the slots 44 by movement of the truck along the ground while the lower end of the boom is in engagement with the ground. The draft devices 27 will then become slack. Movement of the truck 10 along the ground may be continued until the boom 15 is in position C indicated by broken lines in Figure 2.

With a view toward simplicity in construction, links 50 are herein shown as being provided to support the guide track 37 in the elevated position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. Said links may either be detachably or permanently connected to said guide tracks and are only used to support the guide tracks 37 in the dotted line position shown in Figure 2. As herein shown, one end of a link 50 is pivotally mounted on the associated guide track 37 for movement about the axis of the pin 43, although it need not be so located and may be located at various positions along said guide track, depending upon the desired slope of the track 37. The opposite end of each link 50 from the guide track 37 may have a pin 51 extending outwardly therefrom for engagement with the rearwardly opening notch 44 and held in engagement therewith by means of the detachable tapered pin 45. The links 50 may thus support the guide tracks 37, 37 in a relatively flat position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2 for supporting the boom 15 in a reclining position on said guide tracks. When the guide tracks are in the position shown in Figure 2, fluid under pressure may be admitted to the piston rod ends of the cylinders 34 to first take up slack from the flexible draft devices 27, and move the boom 15 upwardly along the guide tracks 37, 37 on the rollers 38, 38 and lift the entire boom 15 from the ground and hold the boom in an elevated position with respect to the ground, resting on the guide tracks 37, 37 and indicated by reference character D in Figure 2. Assuming fluid under pressure is held in the cylinders 34 the draft devices 27 will hold the boom 15 on the relatively fiat guide tracks 37, 37 in a reclining position, with its upper extremities adjacent the top of the sheave 30. The boom 15 thus requires far less head room than if directly elevated along the guide tracks and to position A, shown in Figure 2, in which case the boom extends a substantial distance above the top of the cab as may clearly be seen from this Figure.

It is, of course, understood that during transportation, the boom 15 may be raised or lowered along the guide tracks 37, 37 in accordance with the required ground or overhead clearance.

When it is desired to lower theboom into a digging position, fluid may be released from the piston rod ends of the cylinders 34 allowing the boom 15 to move downwardly along the guide tracks 37, 37 until the forward end of the boom or the buckets 19, 19 come into engagement with the ground. The links 50 may then be released from the notches 44 to free the guide tracks 37 37. With the boom in engagement with the ground, the truck may be slowly backed until the guide tracks 37 are in the upright position shown by solid lines in Figures 1 and 2. The pins 43 may then be engaged with the notches 44. At this time, the pins 45 may be placed in the ends of the side frame members 35, 35 to lock the pins 43 in said notches. The entire boom may then be elevated along the guide tracks 37, 37 into the uppermost position A shown in Figure 2 by operation of the draft devices 27. The boom may then be lowered under control of the-fluid Pressure cylinders 34, to engage the traveling buckets 1 9 with the ground and accommodate the buckets to dig into the ground and to move downwardly into the ground to the position shown by solid lines in Figures 1 and 2. When in this position, the entire truck may be moved 3 along the ground to feed the boom and buckets 19 along the ground and advance the trench therein as is well known to those skilled in the art so not herein shown or described further.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simple practical and eflicient support has been provided for the boom of an endless bucket type of trenching or digging machine in which the boom is slidably mounted on vertically extending guide tracks at the rear of the truck frame, which are anchored in a relatively flat position for transportation and in an upright position during trenching. It may further be seen that the guide tracks support and guide the boom to be lifted above the ground for transportation into a generally reclining position with respect to its digging position and support the boom in this position, and thus reduce the head room formerly required for the boom when transporting from working place to working place.

It may further be seen that the boom may be placed in its transporting position by the operator of the machine with little or no manual effort, by simply releasing the lower support for the guide tracks when the end of the boom is engaged with the ground and then advancing the truck to pivot the tracks into the relatively flat position shown in Figure 2 at which time the tracks may be supported in this position by the supporting links 50.

It will be understood that various modifications and variations of the present invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A trenching machine having a continuous bucket line comprising a mobile main frame, an upright digging boom mounted at the rear end of said main frame, and having the bucket line guided for orbital movement thereabout, flexible draft means mounted on said main frame and suspending said boom in a digging position, and upright guide tracks movably mounted on said main frame and forming a slidable guide for said boom, said guide tracks being movable with respect to said main frame from an upright to a reclining position, and means on said main frame having supporting engagement with said guide tracks for supporting said guide tracks in a reclining position to support said boom in a generally reclining position with respect to its upright digging position, upon movement of said boom along said guide tracks by said flexible draft means.

2. A continuous bucket line trenching machine comprising a self-propelled main frame, an upright digging boom movably mounted on said main frame at the rear end thereof, means supporting said boom on said main frame in an upright position for digging and in a reclining position for transportation comprising flexible draft devices connected between said frame and boom, two laterally spaced generally vertically extending guide tracks supported at the rear end of said frame, means on said boom slidably guided in said guide tracks, guiding said boom for movement along said guide tracks from an elevated position above the ground into a digging position in engagement with the ground, means mounting said guide tracks on said main frame to pivotally move from upright guiding positions to reclining supporting positions, and other means connected between said main frame and guide tracks for supporting said guide tracks in reclining supporting positions.

3. A continuous bucket line ditching machine comprising a self-propelled main frame having a digging boom movably mounted on said main frame at the rear end thereof, means supporting said boom in an upright position for digging and in a reclining position for transportation, comprising flexible draft devices extending from an elevated position on said main frame to said boom and connected thereto, means on said main frame for operating said flexible draft devices to raise and lower said boom, a pair of laterally spaced tie bars connected from said main frame to said boom adjacent the upper end thereof and maintaining said boom in spaced relation with respect to said main frame when in a digging position and controlling vertical movement thereof, and a pair of laterally spaced guide tracks having slidable guiding and supporting engagement with said boom, each of said guide tracks being supported on said main frame at two vertically spaced supporting points, and means connected between said main frame and the guide tracks for accommodating one of said supporting points to releasably move with respect to said main frame and permitting said guide tracks to pivot about the other of said supporting points into a relatively fiat supporting position, and other means detachably connected between said guide tracks and main frame for detachably supporting said guide tracks in a relatively flat supporting position.

4. A trenching machine comprising a self-propelled main frame, a digging boom pivotally mounted on said main frame at the rear end thereof and having a continuous bucket line orbitally guided thereabout, means suspending said boom at the rear end of said main frame in an upright digging position and in reclining transportation position including a flexible draft device extending from an elevated position on said main frame to said boom and connected thereto, means on said main frame for operating said draft device to raise and lower said boom with respect to said frame, a tie bar pivotally connected between said frame and boom and spacing said boom with respect to said frame and controlling vertical movement thereof, an arcuate guide track extending vertically along the rear end of said main frame and forming a slidable guide for said boom, a pivotal support member supporting said guide track on said main frame adjacent one end thereof, connecting means releasably connecting said guide track to said main frame adjacent the other end thereof and maintaining said guide track in an upright position, and a link detachably connectable between said main frame and guide track and operable to support said guide track in a relatively flat position with respect to said main frame upon release of said connecting means and pivotal movement of said guide track and boom above said pivotal support member.

5. A continuous bucket line trenching machine comprising a self-propelled main frame, an upright digging boom movably mounted on said main frame at the rear end thereof, an endless bucket line movable about said boom, and means supporting said boom on said main frame in a generally vertical position for ditching and in a relatively flat position for transportation comprising fluid motor means on said main frame, flexible draft devices operated by said fluid motor means and extending therefrom and guided from an elevated position on said main frame downwardly to said boom and having connection therewith, tie bars pivotally connected from said main frame to said boom and spacing said boom in spaced relation with respect to said main frame and controlling vertical movement thereof, and a pair of upright arcuate guide tracks mounted at the rear end of said main frame and having said boom slidably guided therein, means pivotally mounting said guide tracks to said main frame at points spaced vertically from said main frame, other means detachably connecting said guide tracks to said main frame at points spaced downwardly from said pivotal supporting means, said last mentioned means being detachable from said main frame and accommodating said boom and guide tracks for pivotal movement from a generally vertical position to a generally flat position with respect to said main frame as said last mentioned means is disconnected from said main frame as said boom is engaged with the ground at its forward end and said main frame is moved along the ground relative to the forward end of said boom, the links detachably connectable between said guide tracks and said main frame for supporting said guide tracks in a relatively flat position with respect to said main frame and supporting said boom on said: guide tracks to extend rearwardly from said main.

framein a reclining: position.

6. In: a trenching machine including a self-propelled and having: a continuous orbitally movable bucket line,

meansconnecting said boom to said main frame for movement into a generally vertical digging position and to a reclining position for transportation, comprising a tie bar connected from said main frame to said digging boom adjacent the upper end thereof, a guide track extending generally vertically along the rear end of said main frame, means pivotally connecting. the guide track to said main frame, connecting means associated with said guide track and having interengagement with said main frame, and detachable means securing said connecting means in interengagemen't with said main frame, said detachable means being releasable to accommodate release of said connecting means from said main frame to release said guide track to move about the axis of said pivot means into a generally horizontal position, means connected between said main frame in guide track for supporting said guide track and boom in reclining positions with respect to said main frame.

7. In a trenching machine of the class described, a mobile main frame, a boom supported at the rear end of said main frame for vertical movement with respect thereto, flexible draft devices connected between said main frame and boom for vertically moving said boom with respect to said main frame and retaining said boom in position with respect to said main frame, and means controlling vertical; movement of said boom with respect to said main frame, and supporting said boom in a reclining. position for transportation comprising an arcuate guide track at the rear end of said main frame and extending vertically with respect thereto, a pivotal support for said guide track adjacent one end thereof, an inter-engaging connection between said guide track and said main frame spaced from said pivotal support, means guiding said boom along said guide track, a detachable means on said main frame for maintaining said inter-engaging connection between said guide track and said main frame and releasable to release said inter-engaging connection between said guide track and main frame and permitting said guide track to be pivotally moved into a generally reclining position with respect to said main frame, and linkage means detachably connectable between said guide track and main frame for supporting said guide track on said main frame in a generally reclining position with respect thereto.

8. In a trenching machine of the class described, a selfpropel-led main frame, a digging boom supported at the rear end of said main frame for vertical movement with respect thereto, flexible draft devices on said main frame for vertically moving said boom with respect to said main frame, a pair of spaced tie rods spacing said boom with respect to said main frame and controlling vertical movement thereof, two spaced guide tracks pivotally supported at the rear end of said main frame and extending generally vertically therealong, rollers on said boom having guiding engagement with said guide tracks and movable therealong upon vertical movement of said boom with respect to said main frame, means detachably connectable between said main frame andsaid guide tracks and releasable to release said guide tracks for pivotal movement with respect to said main frame into generally reclining positions with respect to said main frame, and other means detachably supporting said guide tracks on said main frame in said reclining position for detachably supporting said boom onv said mainframe for transportation in. a. generally reclining: position: with respect to said: main! frame.

9; In a: trenching machine of the class described, a mobile main frame, a boom having a continuous digging bucket l'i-ne guided for orbital movement thereabout, fluid motor devices on said main frame, flexible draft devices operated thereby and connected with said boom. for suspending. said boom in a digging. position and elevating said boom with respect to said main frame, means guiding said boom for vertical movement with respect to said main frame comprising two parallel laterally spacedtie bars connected between said main frame and. opposite sides of said boom adjacent the upper end thereof and spacing the upper end of said boom rearwardly of said main frame, tw'o laterally spaced guide rollers on said boom spaced asubstantial distance beneath said tie bars-, two spaced arcuate guide tracks mounted at the rear end of said main frame and extending generally vertically with respect thereto and having said rollers guided for movement therealong, pivotal supports for said guide tracks on. said main frame adjacent the upper ends thereof, said uide tracks having inter-engagement with said main frame at points spaced beneath said pivotal supports, and detachable pins releasing said guide tracks from interengagement with said main frame and accommodating, said boom and guide tracks to be pivotally moved with respect to said main frame into generally flat reclining positions for transportation and to support said boom in a reclining position with respect to said main frame.

10. In a trenching machine, a self-propelled main frame, a digging boom at the rear end of said main frame having a continuous bucket line guided for orbital movement thereabout, fluid motor devices on said main frame, flexible draftdevices connected from said fluid motor devices to said boom for suspending said boom in a generally vertical position and vertically moving the same, means guiding said boom for vertical movement with respect to said main frame comprising. two laterally spacedv tie bars connectingfrom said main frame to opposite sides of said boomv at points spaced adjacent the upper end of said boom, two laterally spaced vertically extending arcuate guide tracks having guiding engagement with said boom at points spaced a substantial distance beneath said tie bars, a pivotal support means for said guide tracks on said main frame adjacent the upper ends thereof, a connecting member extending from each of said guide tracks at a point spaced downwardly from said pivot pin, a rearwardly opening notch in said main frame having inter-engagement with said connecting member, means detachably holding said connecting member into interengagement with said notch and holding said guide tracks in a rigid position with respect to said main frame, said means being releasable to accommodate said guide tracks to pivotally move with respect to said main frame into relatively fiat reclining, positions, and linkage means connectable between said guide tracks and notch upon disengagement of said connecting member therefrom for holding said guide tracks in a relatively flat reclining position to support said boom in a reclining transporting position.

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